Umamusume Users Ultimately File Class Action Refund Lawsuit

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Nahum] Users of 'Uma Musume Pretty Derby' have filed a class-action refund lawsuit against Kakao Games.

Uma Musume user Kim Seongsu, along with 200 other users, filed a damage compensation claim lawsuit against Kakao Games at the Seoul Central District Court on the afternoon of the 23rd, demanding a refund of the money spent on the game.

The claim amount per person is 200,000 KRW. Currently, the number of people wishing to join the lawsuit is about 7,000, and they plan to accurately calculate the damage compensation claim amount and increase the total amount in the future. The total estimated damage is between 8 billion and 9 billion KRW.

Shin Jaeyeon, attorney at LBK & Partners representing the lawsuit, said to reporters before filing the complaint, "This lawsuit claims damages for the immature operation of the Uma Musume game, the financial losses suffered by the game operators, and the mental damages caused by not being able to properly enjoy the game."

He added, "So far, game companies have tended to view users only as a means to make money without understanding them, but this lawsuit will serve as a warning to such game companies. Not only Uma Musume but also various other games exist, and I think if those game users unite and raise their voices, we can achieve progress in game culture and industry together."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

However, the lawsuit representatives stated that they may withdraw the lawsuit if Kakao Games proposes a satisfactory solution. Kim Seongsu said, "The ultimate goal of the lawsuit is the normalization of the game," and added, "If legislation is necessary for this, we will also aim for legislation."

Earlier last month, Uma Musume users expressed dissatisfaction over differences between the Japanese server and the Korean server regarding in-game currency (rewards) distribution and announcements of important events such as the 'Champions Meeting.' Although Kakao Games posted an apology, the dissatisfaction did not subside, leading users to hold a protest march on the 29th of last month.

In response, Cho Gyehyun, CEO of Kakao Games, personally issued an apology and held a user meeting on the 17th to address the issues. However, after the user meeting lasted eight hours without accepting refund demands, some users declared their intention to file a class-action refund lawsuit. Kakao Games announced on the 21st that it would replace responsible personnel and establish a task force (TF) directly under the CEO, beginning efforts to improve the service.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.